CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Joaquin Castro

Interview

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ACOSTA: As we mentioned before the break, Friday's attack comes less than three months after an armed mob stormed the building, raising questions about what security is needed to protect the very seat of American democracy.

Joining me now is Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro, of Texas. He sits on both the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees.

Congressman, thanks for joining us.

In this case, it appears the suspect was suffering from some kind of delusions. But do you believe that the riot on January 6th at least created the impression, to some extent, that the capitol can be successfully attacked, that it made it a target, and that we might see problems like this develop in the future?

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): Yes, absolutely.

First, I want to express my condolences to the family of Officer Evans, who served in the Capitol Police Department so honorably for 18 years.

But I compare what happened on January 6th at the capitol and the changes that I think will ultimately be permanent at the capitol to what happened at airport after 9/11.

If you remember, for those that were flying before 9/11, you could take your family to the gate to see you off as you were going to board the plane. You didn't need a ticket to get past security at that time.

All of that changed after 9/11. So I suspect there will be permanent changes at the U.S. capitol on the House and Senate side, after January 6th.

I think it shows, Jim, there's vulnerabilities when it comes to a large group of people who try to overtake the capitol. So we have to address that.

But also when you have one person who is intent on hurting, whether it's the capitol police officers or the staff or the others who are there.

ACOSTA: There's been a lot of frustration voiced by your Republican colleagues, and even some Democratic colleagues, that the fencing needs to come down. They're frustrated with it. They want they want it to go.

Would you feel safe going to the capitol without it?

CASTRO: Yes. What we need to do is balance safety and transparency. The House of Representatives where I serve -- really the whole capitol complex is almost unique among the capitals of the world.

Because people are used to being able to literally knock on the door of their Senator or representative and sometimes catch them there and say hello. You can't do that everywhere around the world.

You know, so I want to make sure the people of this country can show up and interact with the staff and, hopefully, with the members of Congress.

And at the same time, you know, the capitol has been a larger target of extremist and extremists. So we have to find a way to balance those two things.

Specifically on your question about the fencing, would I feel safe? Yes, I think I would. But I know that we need to make sure that everybody feels safe. Not just the members of Congress but everybody that works there as well.

ACOSTA: Let me ask you about the controversy surrounding Republican Congressman Gaetz. He's now caught up in a sex trafficking probe.

He's accused of showing nude pictures of women to lawmakers, including on the floor of the House.

I assume you're not one of those House members that looked at his phone. You're obviously from a different party, very kind mind mindset from Gaetz.

But if the allegations are true, would you call on your Republican colleagues to demand his removal?

CASTRO: Yes, I think, if those are true, I think he should resign.

And Speaker Pelosi asked the Ethics Committee to launch an investigation, which I think is appropriate.

And even though they may find that either because of a statute of limitations or things happened before he got to Congress that are the subject of this probe, that that the Ethics Committee doesn't have jurisdiction or the House doesn't have jurisdiction to punish him that way, I think, if these things are true, he should resign.

It was very disturbing what I read about what he's alleged to have done.

I haven't had much interaction with them. I think I've been part of one conversation that was in. Other than that, I see his interviews on television once in a while.

[17:35:05]

ACOSTA: And I want to go to the subject of immigration. It's an issue you've been really focusing on.

The Biden administration, as you know, is struggling with the surge of migrants at the U.S. southern border.

We have seen troubling videos of overcrowded facilities in Donner, in Texas. Children sleeping on mats on the floor. We learned just on Friday that border apprehensions have spiked, that they spike in March, including nearly 19,000 unaccompanied minors. Those are mind- boggling numbers.

You just returned from a trip to the border. What did you see? And what can be done about the images of these children crammed into these facilities?

Because that is -- we're just watching it right now. That is unsustainable.

CASTRO: Yes. There's a confluence of things going on that have led to these conditions.

First, there were natural disasters in Central America not too long ago.

Also, we have seen a cyclical, basically, uptick of people trying to present themselves for asylum at the U.S./Mexico border.

And also, President Biden is trying to honor American and international law in allowing, right now at least, unaccompanied minors to actually present themselves for asylum and be allowed to remain in the United States while they wait for their day in court.

So you have a lot of people that are anxious to have their case presented in a court of law and have it decided.

We have to completely reimagine and redo what we do with people when they present themselves at the border for asylum, and they take their next step or their first stop after that.

Most of those pictures you see -- and the video I recorded, for example, in 2019, in El Paso, Texas, where there were about 15 or 20 Cuban women who were essentially in what looks like a prison cell that were in unsanitary, cramped conditions back then.

That is a problem with the facilities that we send people to at their first stop. I think that we have to completely change the way we do that.

I think this administration has an opportunity, over the coming months and the next few years, to create a completely difficult, more humane way of temporarily keeping people, keeping them safe while they're waiting to be placed with family and relative sponsors.

(CROSSTALK)

CASTRO: So I hope the Biden administration will take that on.

ACOSTA: Yes.

I want your response to this video released by the Border Patrol -- we can put it up on screen -- it's very disturbing -- of smugglers dropping two toddlers over a 14-foot fence separating the U.S. from Mexico, and then just leaving them there.

Those little girls are 3 and 5 years old. Fortunately, they're OK.

But as a father, what is your reaction to seeing something like that? And what does this video say about what's happening right now?

CASTRO: I think, overall, what it says is you have a lot of very desperate people who are willing to do anything to have her kids be in a safer place, and that place is the United States of America.

I don't believe, Jim, that 99 percent of people willingly leave their homeland and trek 1,000 miles with kids that are 5 and 10 years old just for the fun of it. They're fleeing very violent, very dangerous, desperate situations.

Part of the answer also has to be our nation making a very strong investment. I've talked about a Marshall Plan for Central America, helping to boost the economy and the rule of law and the safety for the people in the Northern Triangle.

Because I don't think that the overwhelming majority of those people actually want to leave. I think they feel very much forced to leave.

ACOSTA: but I know you have blamed Trump for a lot of these problems that are unfolding right now. This is now happening on Joe Biden's watch.

Could this be a problem for Democrats in the midterms? Could you be handing the Republicans a gift if it's not sorted out quickly?

CASTRO: Look, obviously, I think in the 2022 midterms, Republicans will run on something, whether it's one big issue or two big issues or three. And you can see them trying to figure out how effective the issue of immigration will be for them in the next election.

But most of all, putting the politics of that aside, we have to get this issue right. We have to get the solutions right. We're dealing with human beings.

The Biden administration is approaching all of this, not with the dark heart that Donald Trump and Stephen Miller did, but with the intent of actually solve it.

So, you're right, it's going to take a little bit of time. But I'm convinced that they're trying to do what they can to treat people humanely and also to change the system.

ACOSTA: Congressman Joaquin Castro, thank for you that. We appreciate. Happy Easter this weekend. Come on again sometime soon. We appreciate it.

CASTRO: For sure.

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